Penguins center Evgeni Malkin did not skate on Sunday as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury. Head coach Mike Sullivan noted to Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the off day was a scheduled one and not a setback in the recovery process. Malkin has missed the last six games as a result of the injury and there remains no timetable for his return.
While Malkin (along with winger Carl Hagelin who has a lower body issue) didn’t skate, several other injured Pittsburgh players took to the ice. Defensemen Trevor Daley (knee), Ron Hainsey, Kris Letang (both upper body injuries), and Olli Maatta along with winger Jake Guentzel (concussion) all took to the ice although they did so before the team took to the ice to prepare for tonight’s game against the Flyers.
Winger Scott Wilson returned to the lineup for the Penguins after missing Friday’s game with an undisclosed issue. However, the team lost winger Conor Sheary midway through the first period after he blocked a shot with his hand and he did not return. Following the game, Sullivan told reporters, including Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link), that Sheary is day-to-day.
Other news from around the NHL:
- Sharks winger Logan Couture was taken to hospital on Saturday after taking a puck to the mouth against the Predators. CSN Bay Area’s Kevin Kurz reports that Couture was able to travel home with the team. However, a source tells Kurz that the injury is a bad one which suggests he’s likely to miss some time. The injury comes at a tough time with the playoffs fast approaching and the team struggling considerably at the moment having lost six straight games. On the season, Couture sits third in team scoring with 25 goals and 27 assists in 73 contests. An update on his condition is expected on Monday.
- Still with the Sharks, winger Micheal Haley will have a phone hearing on Monday regarding an incident against the Predators, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link). Haley was assessed a match penalty on the play, which occurred with just over seven minutes remaining in the third period. Haley has played himself into a mostly regular role with the Sharks this season, picking up a career best 11 points and 110 penalty minutes (fifth league-wide) in 54 games. San Jose next plays on Tuesday so a decision will have to be made whether or not to uphold or rescind the match penalty by then.